Surgical speculum



Oct. 27, 1942. F, B T 2,300,040

SURGICAL SPECULUM Filed May '31, 1940 INVENTOR. fleA/vz A. 5577:: I

Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in surgical speculums.

In the examination of interior body cavities, it is necessary to employ an instrument for opening the same so as to permit inspection and to allow the surgeon to make such treatments as may be indicated and necessary. For this purpose speculums of various kinds have been invented and used.

It is the object of this invention to produce a simple and substantial surgical instrument of such construction that when it is in use, it will afford a large, clear opening and thereby allow the surgeon the freest access to the parts under investigation and treatment.

In order to describe this invention so that its construction and mode of operation can be clearly understood, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated in its preferred form, and in which:

Figure 1 is a topplan view of the speculum, a portion thereof being shown in section to better disclose the construction;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of blade 6 with associated parts looking in the direction of arrows 3, Figure 2; and

Figure 4: is a section taken on line 4- 3, Figure 1.

In the drawing reference numeral 5 designates one of the retractor blades and reference numeral 6 represents the other retractor blade. The two blades are of concave-convex cross section as can be readily seen from Figures 1 and 2. Blade 5 has its upper end outwardly curved and provided with a flange I from which a handle 8 projects. One side of blade 5 has a lateral extension 9 that is provided with an opening [0, which, in the form illustrated, is T-shaped. The outer wall of the opening has a pawl I I that projects inwardly as shown in Figure 1. The opening l extends in a direction substantially parallel to handle 8 and is positioned to the outside of the corresponding edge of blade 5. The positions of the two edges of the blades are indicated by dotted lines I2 and I3 which also serve to indicate the wall of an orifice that is being expanded by this instrument. Blade 6 is provided at its upper end with outwardly projecting flanges 1a, the upper of which terminates in an extension I4, from which a ratchet bar projects in the direction of the concave surface of the blade. The bar IS in the preferred embodiment is of T-shaped cross section and one of its flanges is provided with ratchet teeth l6 that are engaged position. The opening 10 extends through the upper surface of projection 9 and has its upper walls a and b tapered in the direction of the con cave side of the blade in the manner indicated in Figure 1 so that the bar l5 may be rocked about the edge ll! which designates the end of the bottom surface of the groove in the projection. By moving the end containing the finger grip l3 inwardly from the position shown in Figure 1, the teeth It will be moved out of engage ment with the pawl It so as to permit the bar to be longitudinally adjusted. Due to the fact that the bar I5 is positioned at one side of the blade 6, any forces tending to move blades 5 and 6 toward each other also tends to move the ratchet arm counterclockwise about edge ll so as to bring the pawl ll into operative engagement with the teeth [6. When the surgeon wants to adjust the position of the blades as, for example, when he wants to move them farther apart after they have been inserted in the orifice, he merely exerts a pressure on the part 18 and urges the bar towards the left, when viewed as in Figure 1. Any force tending to return the blade 6 is resisted by the pawl H. When the instrument is to be removed or the distance between the blades decreased, this can be accomplished by first moving the bar I5 a short distance towards the left and then moving it inwardly towards the handle, whereupon the latching engagement between the pawl and the teeth is released, thereby permitting blade 6 to move towards blade 5.

Particular attention is called to the fact that this instrument comprises two parts only, and that neither of these parts has any movable parts attached to them. The latching is effected by the teeth and the pawl which are both integral with their respective parts of the instrument.

Attention is directed to the showing in Figure 1 from which it is apparent that the bar [5 is positioned beyond the corresponding wall of the orifice and therefore there is no obstruction and the surgeon has free access to the opening under inspection.

It will also be noted that on the side opposite from bar 15 there is no obstruction whatever which permits free access to the part under inspection or treatment.

Since the interconnection and the ratchet latching means are to one side of the blades,

there results a cantilever action which serves to 1 hold the pawl and teeth in engagement and thus removes the necessity of a spring.

Having described the invention What is claimed by the pawl II when the parts are in operative as new is:

1. A surgical speculum for use in holding a body orifice in open position to permit examination and treatment of the Wall thereof, comprising two blades of concave-convex cross section arranged with their concave surfaces in opposed relation, a handle extending outwardly from the convex surface of one of the blades near the outer end thereof, said blade having a projection extending laterally from one edge of the blade near the outer end thereof, said lateral projection having a noncircular opening whose axis extends substantially parallel with the handle, said opening being tapered in the direction of the concave side of the blade, the axis of the opening being positioned to one side of the handle, beyond the corresponding edge of the blade, the other blade having an integral bar positioned to one side of the center line thereof, substantially the same distance as the axis of the opening and extending in the direction of the concave surface, said bar having a transverse cross section of a size and shape to fit the smaller end of the opening the bar projecting through said opening in substantial parallel relation with the handle and at a point above the latter, whereby it can be engaged and manipulated by the thumb of a hand holding the handle, and latching means comprising opposed interengaging latching teeth on the bar and on the inner surface of the opening for latching the blades in spaced relation in opposition to a force tending to move the blades: together, the bar being rockable in the opening to efiect a release of the latching means.

2. A surgical speculum for use in holding a body orifice in open position to permit examination and treatment of the wall thereof, comprising two blades of concavo-convex cross section arranged with their concave surfaces in opposed relation, a handle extending outwardly from the convex surface of one of the blades near the outer end thereof, said blade having a projection eX- tending from said blade near the outer end thereof, said projection having a noncircular opening whose axis extends substantially parallel with the handle, said opening being tapered in the direction of the concave side of the blade, the axis of the opening being positioned to one side of the handle beyond the corresponding edge of the blade, 'the other blade having an integral bar positioned to one side of the center line thereof, substantially the same distance as the axis of the opening, and extending in the direction of the concave surface, said bar having a transverse cross section of a size and shape to fit the smaller end of the opening, the bar projecting through said opening in substantially parallel relation with the handle and at a point above the latter, whereby r it can be engaged and manipulated by the thumb of a hand holding the handle, and latching means comprising opposed interengaging latching teeth on the bar and on the inner surface of the opening for latching the blades in spaced relation in opposition to a force tending to move the blades together, the bar being rockable in the opening to efiect a release of the latching means.

FRANK A. BETTS. 

